Engaging an Interior Decorator – Ten Questions you should ask.

Engaging an Interior Decorator

Ten Questions you should ask

Your home is your haven and renovating it or building a new one is a very emotional experience which can often be exciting but confusing and overwhelming at the same time. For most Australians their home is the biggest investment that they will make in their lifetime. You may want to consider engaging an interior decorator to help you make informed choices about the decisions you make for your renovation or build.

Before you engage someone there are several questions that you should ask. Remember if you are engaging someone for work, you would put them through an interview process first.

10 Relevant questions to ask

What experience do you have? – A professional would have several case studies that they can refer you to. Depending on what you need done I can refer you to a client or clients who I have done the following things for:

Colour/design consultancy

Styling/space planning/interior fit out

Presale makeover

Project Management

Professional Product Selection

New homes/Renovations

What training do you have? – Trades require proof of the fact that they are who they are with the necessary qualifications. I have a Diploma of Interior Decoration and belong to the Design Institute of Australia.

What is it that you love about your work? – If you are passionate about your home then you need someone who can share that passion and provide the ideas to help create you vision for your spaces. I am passionate about what I do and enjoy meeting my clients and helping them to achieve their vision for their living spaces.

Can you tell me about your most recent work? – The answer to this question will help you to decide if this person is able to do the job that you want them for particularly if they have dealt with similar jobs once again establishing their level of experience. Depending on your needs I can refer to work that I have done as outlined in question 1.

Can you describe briefly what you did on this job? – The Interior Decorator should be able to outline the brief for the job and how they dealt with it Before and after photographs are a very good way to see the difference between the start and the end product. Ask to see a portfolio of work.

How have you solved problems in the past? – Many renovations are problem solving exercises because it is difficult to see below the surface of a home until the rip and strip has commenced. This is particularly evident in older homes. On one of my jobs my client wanted a freestanding bath in a very small ensuite which was on a second storey. The bath not only needed to be the right size but light to be able to be carried up the stairs. I managed to source a bath that not only fitted but weighed only 45kg.

Are they contactable?– There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to get hold of someone particularly if there is an issue that needs to be resolved. I am contactable by mobile phone and email.

How are they contactable? – It is important that you establish the best way to get in touch with someone particularly if you need to contact them in an emergency. I remember doing a renovation that left our home exposed to the elements and it was about to rain. I needed to get a tarpaulin up very quickly. It was a weekend but my builder got the message and dealt with the situation straight away.

Do you have some testimonials?– Feedback from previous clients who have done similar work to what you want to do is important to establish that the interior decorator can do what they say they can do.I can provide testimonials for every job outlined in question 1.

Do you have some referees? – You would ring a referee about using a potential person for work in your office, why not do the same for someone who is potentially going to work on your home. Any of the clients from question one would act as a referee for me if I asked them.

Making rushed or uniformed decisions can be a very costly experience when building or renovating. I have heard many people say that they didn’t really get the building process right until their third or fourth build. Employing a reliable interior decorator can help you to save money as well as provide informed unemotional information that helps you to create the look that you are trying to achieve for your home or renovation. Whether or not you choose to work with me I would encourage you to ask the questions that I have outlined above.

Kate Beeson, Diploma of Interior Decoration, Diploma of Education, has had a passion for interior decoration for the last 26 years. After building her own home and then renovating the same home three times, Kate decided to formally study the art of interior decoration. She achieved several awards while studying such as a commendation for her professional attitude, a commendation for a restoration competition and was a finalist in the Crosby tile competition for a bathroom brief.

Kate is now running her own consultancy service, Interiors in Fusion. She has been running the company for the last five and a half years.

Kate believes in creating beautiful living spaces that resonate with the people who live in them. She likes to take an ordinary space and work as a team with her client to create an extraordinary space that they have always dreamed of.

Kate’s goal is to take the con out of confusion to create fusion between internal and external spaces and between the old and new in renovations or just to simplify the task of new home building. She does this through guiding her client’s to make informed decisions about the material, furniture, accessory and design choices that they make.

If you are still not sure of what to do then call Kate and she can help you to make informed choices that help to simplify the whole selection process.

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